New picture needs critiquing, please help.

[GreyFox1221]

In my quest to become the best photographer I can be, I've come here to ask for your help. Any input would be great. The only thing I did to this picture so far was add a tighter crop.

 

[tykles]

Honestly - and I'm a total rookie, so this is a response more as your intended audience than as a pro - I think the crop is way too tight. It's hard to tell exactly what's going on (how high is he, etc) and he is sort of falling off the side of the image. Can you post the original (uncropped) pic?
I'm not trying to be a hater - I just think we're missing out on some of the context by having such a close crop of the athlete - I'm sure people more involved in shooting athletics have better feedback though.
I checked out some of your other photos - I really like the other high jump shots as well as the head on shot of two men racing hurdles. nice work.
tyler

 

[GreyFox1221]

Here is the full, uncropped picture: http://img501.imageshack.us/my.php?image=fullcrop9hw.jpg
Thanks for your compliments on my other pictures. The guy in this picture is the same guy from the hurdles and one of the high jump pictures.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

This is my take on what you posted:

 

[tykles]

Or how about this? The guy;s head down at the bottom (plus the extra space) gives a better sense of height to me. I also like the even tighter crop that Chip posted.

 

[gibbon]

Hi. Great photo!
I agree the shot looks better when cropped to show more underneath the guy illustrating what he has achieved rather above the guy showing what he hasn't! Makes it more dramatic and accentuates the feat by showing the vertical.
Also, cropping to show the horizontal might be interesting - you get the vertical drama because he is surrounded by sky (and tree tops) and it accentuates the forward motion also - it really looks like he is flying through the air! At first I was a bit confused where he had come from and where he was going, I think perhaps because he has just cleared the jump rather than just reaching it, but somehow I find it easier in this crop. Just an idea......

 

[Abstract]

View attachment 48870

I like this one the best.

 

[captainbrendo]

Leave more room on the right side of the photo, since you will ideally want to follow the rule of thirds. The pole vaulter is also looking to the right, so leave some room to breathe. A vertical crop can also work, and would make the image seem taller. For your picture, I think a landscape crop works better. Clone out the annoying trees.

Try to pre frame your shot before you take it when shooting sports so you can include only what you want.

Good shot

 

[kildraik]

I like tykle's second rendition. It showed the intensity of what the athlete is actually doing, you know what I mean?

 

[FritzTheWonderM]

Here's a tip for the next time you shoot, try to shoot from a position where you can see the person's face. A lot of the interest in sports photography is created by the expression on their face.

Also, go easy on the JPEG compression. Seems like your other shots were less compressed (this one has a lot artifacts in the sky).

 

[FritzTheWonderM]

Here's one to go with your hurdles shot. I removed some of the distracting background stuff.

 

[Grimace]

Here's one to go with your hurdles shot. I removed some of the distracting background stuff.

Which program did you use to get the background to be B&W while retaining the athlete's color?

 

[haiggy]

Which program did you use to get the background to be B&W while retaining the athlete's color?

I want to know that too. Thanks

 

[FritzTheWonderM]

Which program did you use to get the background to be B&W while retaining the athlete's color?

Photoshop. Select all, copy & paste. That gives you a new layer with everything in it. Desaturate the new layer to a level you like, then use the eraser and erase what you want to be colored. The colored background layer will show through the "hole" in the upper desaturated layer.

 

[haiggy]

Photoshop. Select all, copy & paste. That gives you a new layer with everything in it. Desaturate the new layer to a level you like, then use the eraser and erase what you want to be colored. The colored background layer will show through the "hole" in the upper desaturated layer.

Thanks, thats pretty sweet. It's just like the features some camera's have......... colour accent or whatever. Neat stuff. After you told me how you did it I noticed one of the guy's fingers are still grey

 

[FritzTheWonderM]

After you told me how you did it I noticed one of the guy's fingers are still grey

Yeah, and he's got a blue halo in some areas. I got sloppy.

 

[dogsbody]

Photoshop. Select all, copy & paste. That gives you a new layer with everything in it. Desaturate the new layer to a level you like, then use the eraser and erase what you want to be colored. The colored background layer will show through the "hole" in the upper desaturated layer.

Or alternatively, use the magnetic lasso to go around the bit you want to be in colour, then click 'Apple+Shift+i' to invert the selection, then go to Image->Desaturate.

That's keeps everything cleaner. Alternatively, you could make a new desaturation layer.

 

[jak119]

my take on this picture

This picture is pretty close to the original although i didn't like the crop to be so tight so i loosened it up a little bit to show the pole (mainly just so you know it's pole vault) and gave him a little room above, to the right, and below. I also did a color balance because the color of the pole supporting the one that you vault over wasn't the true color so i fooled around with the color balances a bit and i think i got the colors pretty good.

 

[wheezy]

Photoshop. Select all, copy & paste. That gives you a new layer with everything in it. Desaturate the new layer to a level you like, then use the eraser and erase what you want to be colored. The colored background layer will show through the "hole" in the upper desaturated layer.

The safest way is to use a mask on the desaturated layer, this way you can fix areas that get erased too much, you get much better control on the edges.

Magnetic lasso would work too, but it's not as precise as masking.

Nice shot though, what are you shooting with?